NVA amplifier anyone?

Hi Styxtrekr,
Actually one of my friend was selling the unit and I took it back to my place to audition it since I am not going to commit before I listen to this amp. I never heard of this amp before and only got to know about NVA just recently when my friend informed he's got one unit for sale. Yes I did compare it with my main system which consists of Plinius/ARC separates, and the NVA killed it in terms of transparency, musicality and detail, and the amp was not even run-in yet. It has got a lot to do with system matching though, at least I know the match between the NVA and Harbeth SHL-5 is a good one. As the results have come out to be very favorable, the owner won't get to see this amp anymore.

I don't know about purchasing on-line as I didn't enquire from the manufacturer himself. All I know is the manufacturer distributes his amps through ebay. If you are interested to know more about the amp maybe you would want to contact the designer on his website below.

http://www.nene-valley-audio.com

Ryder,

you state "I just took back an NVA AP70" why didnt you keep it? could you compare it to your existing system, where did you acquire the integ amp

I just took back an NVA AP70 integrated yesterday and this thing stunned me sonically with its excellent tonality, timbre, musicality and dynamics, all this when the amp was powered up from cold. Although I only heard about this rare British amp just a few weeks ago, I got to know the brand has been around for more than 10 years now. I read speaker cable are extremely important with the amp as non-compatible ones with high capacitance will send the amp to oscillation that may eventually damage the amp. I am currently using the NVA cables. Although they look quite cheap, the sound is spectacular.

Recommended for matching warm to neutral sounding speakers and for those who seek a transparent and musical sound with some excitement factor thrown in.

curious what kind of speaker cables and interconnects you are using, warranty disclaimer tends to scare someone off.

Thanks

Hi Lupin,
I would be trying out an AP70 soon and would appreciate your advice. Does the NVA amp sound close to Lavardin IS at a fraction of the price? Does the amp lean towards a warm and lush sound or a lean, detailed and musical sound?

Thanks in advance.

Hi Kanuk,

I have a NVA AP35 (AP50's predecessor) 50Wpc integrated amp, and I also used to own a Lavardin IS.

Although the AP35 is no powerhouse, it makes my Reynaud Offrandes sing pretty well. Its fits and finish is not as high-class as the Lavardin but it offers just as much musicality for only a fraction of the price of the Lavardin.

NVA offer 14 day no quibble return policy so just return it if you don't like how it performs in your system. However, due to NVA's unique design minimalist, non-filtering design, it is very crucial that you use the appropriate speaker cable with NVA amplifier. You may check NVA's website for more info on the acceptable cables. NVA also offers a range of cables and interconnects that start at very affordable prices.

After being a happy owner of my AP35 for more than 15 years, I am planning to get the new AP70 or AP80 integrated amps featuring dual-mono power supply. It would be interesting to see what sort of hair-raising capabilities they possess.